CHART: Charting solutions for health impacts of extreme weather

Columbia University Health Sciences, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Extreme weather events are and will remain among the most significant threats to global public health. The need for robust scientific evidence to guide maximally effective action is paramount. The most accurate, reliable, and relevant science is essential for informing evidence‑based policies and interventions to mitigate the effects of extreme weather and reduce, if possible, minimize associated health risks. Therefore, the highest‑quality scientific evidence is crucial to ensure the actions we take are appropriate, effective, and impactful in reducing the burden of disease and improving overall health outcomes and well‑being. To achieve these objectives, a interdisciplinary approach is necessary, leveraging expertise from multiple fields such as epidemiology, statistics, environmental health, sociology, toxicology, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, atmospheric sciences, engineering, and medicine. The integration of research disciplines into a unified framework is critical to better understand the complex nature of extreme weather impacts on human health. This approach necessitates transformative, interdisciplinary, and integrative science that breaks down silos between fields and brings researchers with a range of backgrounds and expertise together. Engaging with communities is essential to ensure that research findings are actionable and relevant. Redefining current practices and taking a comprehensive scientific approach will help ensure that evidence generated through research is responsive to the needs of all populations. This comprehensive framework enables researchers to work collaboratively toward mitigating the health impacts of extreme weather. To address this need and build capacity in this area of research, we have designed the CHART (Charting solutions for health impacts of extreme weather) Center. CHART’s mission is to launch a transformative and integrative framework for research on health impacts of extreme weather, from molecules to populations, that drives evidence‑based impactful solutions. Specifically, CHART will (1) create a unified framework for integrating health and extreme weather research across Columbia University, (2) strengthen and broaden interdisciplinary and integrative research capabilities, and (3) reconceptualize community engagement to optimize the impact of translation and dissemination. We have assembled a highly skilled and cross‑disciplinary team and designed a rigorous plan to accomplish this overarching objective.